Preach the Word.

2 Timothy 4:2

Sensing this is his final letter, Paul sets out with even more than his usual fervor to impress upon Timothy the details of his calling. Not a word is wasted: preach the Word; or as the Message translation says: proclaim the Message with intensity.

Preach is a word I assign to pastors in fairly sanctified settings, although Louie Gohmert was dubbed “itinerant tent preacher” when he confronted a congressional witness recently with his marital infidelities. Proclaim implies authority, as does to herald the gospel (2 Timothy 1:11). Timothy has been cautioned against falling into the trap of timidity due to his youth (1 Timothy 4:12): For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).

Timothy has the Holy Spirit on board to make the Word, the Message, or the Gospel plain and clear. Paul succinctly hones it down: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David (2 Timothy 2:8). The road to the cross was set in stone before time, through the lineage of David. Jesus’ resurrection is of the essence.

Are you and I called or appointed to preach or proclaim or herald the Gospel as Paul was, as Timothy was entrusted to do? You bet! We too can rely on the Holy Spirit for the boldness we need; but we perhaps do our best job with our friends when we tell our story with Jesus.

Where did God’s story intersect your life? A few years ago our then Women’s Minister, Linda Lesniewski, introduced a study, His Story, My Story, to prompt us to remember all the times God appeared when we needed Him. For all those occasions God shared His grace with me, I added a silver charm to my new necklace. I now have a visual for me, plus a conversation piece to prompt spiritual questions. I’m certainly not a preacher; but I am expected to pass on God’s story in my life, as are you.

Nancy P